


Zopiclone Critics

by periwinklepalaces



Series: The Tentative Shenanigans of Remus and Virgil (and other events) [3]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Developing Friendships, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Mention of Gore, Movie Night, Pre-Episode: Accepting Anxiety, Sexual innuendos, all of which are from remus’ dialogue because of course, also a timeskip to post DITW but the majority is pre AA, dukexiety is platonic but can be implied as romantic by the end, mention of violence, rape is mentioned in the context of sleeping beauty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-14
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 09:09:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19809187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/periwinklepalaces/pseuds/periwinklepalaces
Summary: ‘Having a movie marathon with Remus’ was never on Virgil’s bucket list. In fact, it was more on his whatever-the-opposite-of-a-bucket-list-was list.And yet here he was.





	Zopiclone Critics

A Disney marathon was one of the most shockingly tame ideas Virgil had ever heard come from Remus’ mouth. It was so tame he was forced to be suspicious of it, especially due to his already existing discomfort that arose whenever forced to be in the same vicinity as the creative side. He was absolutely prepared to decline the offer.

Or at least, he would have been, if he wasn't worried that declining would leave Remus in a dangerous state of boredom. Sitting with him for a couple movies was a russian roulette of unpredictability, but less so than a wild, unoccupied Remus, who would be guaranteed to torment him eventually.

Virgil couldn't help but be jealous of Deceit, who had narrowly avoided this fiasco due to being preoccupied. Something about corralling resurfacing, unhappy memories back to the subconscious. 

He similarly couldn't help but assume that, ironically, that was Remus' fault.

Either way, here he was, curled up against one corner of the couch. The common room itself wasn't as dirty or as dark as people would assume it to be. More like a monochrome with splashes of neon colours that really didn't belong there. The neon was, unsurprisingly, Remus' doing.

Remus himself was stretched over the remaining couch space, his lounging position overly obnoxious. He had to wonder if the other was consciously trying or if he was just naturally that loud.

"Okay so ground rules." He spoke up, tone gravelly and quiet. Virgil didn't speak much in general, so his voice was always a bit scratchy. There wasn't any trace of echo in his voice, and he could have never been more grateful. "Keep your hands away from me."

This request sparked a reaction from the other in the form of a quick snap of the neck, allowing Remus to look directly at the anxious side. He shivered, discomfort settling in his stomach like a rock. Even so, it was only slightly eased by the Duke's pout, kicking against the opposite armrest to slide closer to Virgil. "But Virgiiie-" He whined, pressing the play button on the remote to set Sleeping Beauty in motion before throwing the remote behind him without a glance. Virgil winced at the subsequent commotion as the remote made impact with the floor. "What's the point in movie night if we don't get cuddly and intimate?"

Virgil huffed, scowling at the implications. "The point is watching the movie properly, leaving me alone and the wonders of consent which, for the record, you don't have." He shuffled, retreating further into his hoodie as he turned his attention to the screen. He could sense Remus squirming unhappily, clearly having hoped for a different outcome for reasons Virgil could not comprehend.

However, Remus eventually settled, seemingly more interested in the movie than his continued lack of affection. Anxiety, true to his title, remained tense but eventually relaxed as Remus kept to himself, only occasionally wriggling or kicking some part of the couch. 

Now, the Duke could not be kept tame for long. This was a known fact to most people. He had an insatiable urge for chaos, it seemed. 

So, it was inevitable that once Prince Phillipe came on screen, Remus started to commentate. 

"Ugh, this guy. Y'know, they say he was infatuated with her beauty or something, but he was probably more interested in other things about her. Like trying to get in her dress!" He giggled, a high pitched, grating laughter. "Just kidding, that's too straight. Oh! It would have been so much funnier here if Samson threw him over that conveniently placed cliff. I mean, it's right there, it's basically begging to happen!"

Virgil rolled his eyes, as similar comments became as frequent as the movie dialogue itself. Remus liked attention, but he was less picky on if people understood what he was saying, so Virgil absentmindedly listened while watching the animated characters move. 

Once that began, it didn't take long for Virgil himself to start to join the conversation properly, voicing his concerns for the room to hear.

"Drinking stolen wine on the job- does this musician have a death wish or something?" Virgil slumped, stretching his legs out from their curled, protective position. "I mean, sure the kings seem nice, but you never know with royalty. They could…"

"Chop his head off!" Remus interjected, eyes alight with a very specific sort of playful smugness that only ever appeared when he managed to trick Virgil into playing along with him. To him, it was always a game of poking at the other while he tried to avoid adding fuel to the flame, and he always won when Virgil finally caved and started voicing his anxious thoughts. "Or perhaps ripping his fingernails out one by one? No, no, he's in trouble because he drank, so it would only make sense to drown him. A little less gory but a lot more thematic." 

Virgil snorted humorlessly, not enjoying the imagery that was brought to mind but reluctantly agreeing to the point the Duke was making. "Exactly."

They continued bouncing off each other, Remus clearly ecstatic for the available outlet. The creative side moved to plop his head on Virgil's thigh as he was preoccupied nibbling the skin of his thumb. Maleficent was leading Aurora to the spindle, and the wonderful music build up was coaxing nervousness to prickle in his gut. He jolted at the sudden weight on his leg, his gaze shooting downwards to Remus' grinning face.

"I thought I told you to keep away from me." He growled, squinting. Remus raised an eyebrow, still smiling like the bastard he was.

"You told me to keep my hands away from you, actually. And my hands are away from you!" He pulled jazz hands to top off his statement, before clapping his hands together much closer to Virgil's face than necessary, making him blink in alarm. "Besides, you seem a bit on edge, fearest. The eyeshadow's on thick!"

Virgil had to bite his tongue to stop him throwing a sarcastic remark about how Remus was probably half the reason he was anxious to begin with, instead scoffing as he maneuvered his hands out of his face firmly. "Well done, you have eyes. I'm trying out a new makeup routine." He was lying through his teeth but hey, Deceit wasn't here to call him out on his bullshit. "And seriously? Fearest? Not one of your best."

"Uh-huh." Remus scrutinised his expression for a few moments, before getting distracted by the movie, which was currently depicting the guards falling into their deep slumbers. "Ooh, axes! Hey, y'know what'd be funny? If a couple of them lost their grips as they fell asleep and beheaded themselves. Would that count as suicide, or murder?"

Virgil exhaled slowly through his nose, tugging his hoodie sleeves over his hands as he jostled his leg, hoping Remus would take a hint. He didn't, turning to press his cheek into his knee, which made him look oddly domestic despite the unnervingly wide grin. "I dunno, suicide? It's not like they'd know that they dropped the axe on themselves because of the fairies."

Virgil enjoyed the following scenes with Maleficent. He didn't voice it, but her aesthetic was always cool to him and the entire scene with Phillip riding to freedom through the terrors of her castle was amazing. Of course, he didn't enjoy it fully due to Remus' complaints on how it could have been so much more gory, and how princes are overrated and why are these fairies so overpowered now, turning arrows into flowers, when they couldn't even lift a curse fully earlier? He murmured agreement, hands settling in his lap, his sleeves preventing any unnecessary contact with the Duke.

He was starting to grow comfortable with the weight on his thigh in the sense that it was grounding, though he would never admit it. The puffs of breath against his knee were a bit disconcerting when he kept in mind who they belonged to, but not enough to push him to shove Remus off him. It was a minimum amount of contact, and it seemed to keep them both somewhat sated.

Virgil grimaced as the scene where Phillip kisses Aurora awake came up. He clicked his tongue, lightly hitting Remus on the head to grab his attention before making a sound of disgust. "Your hair is so greasy, Jesus. Anyway, this is what I was talking about earlier about the importance of consent and such. This prince is nice and all, but that wasn't a consensual kiss! Sure, he's the love of her life and it broke the curse, but he didn't know if she'd be okay with it."

"Thanks, it's the olive oil." Remus grinned in response, ignoring the look of utter confusion and distaste he got back. "And this is nothing compared to the original! I mean, in Giambattista Basile's version, this king she didn't know ended up getting real friendly while she was unconscious, and she woke up after her newborn baby sucked the splinter that put her to sleep out of her finger." He paused, before looking away with a flat expression. "Though it ended happily ever after, with her being okay it all and the two of them getting married but details, details."

Virgil shuddered, suppressing the wave of nausea the information brought forth. He decided to change the topic of conversation, assuming the movie was pretty much over anyway. "So what are we watching next?"

Remus sat up quicker than should be humanly possible, bouncing lightly as he turned excitedly to Virgil. "Well, I'm glad you asked, emo! How does Snow White sound? Our theme for tonight is the classics."

Virgil rolled his eyes, but went along with it nonetheless.

_

Virgil was used to being alone in his room. It was the way he liked it - his room was his safe space, his personal sanctuary.

That said, he always knew when someone popped in for a visit. Even without a verbal entrance, he could sense it.

Which was what happened now, a few days after the whole intrusive thoughts fiasco. He groaned, pausing the audiobook he was listening to and yanking his headphones off, getting up from his relaxed position on his bed.

He was expecting it to be Patton or Logan checking in on him, or maybe Roman ready to drag him to family dinner. He had spent a majority of the day in his room, so it wouldn't be surprising. However, against all odds, the person he found fiddling with a spider web was Remus. 

Instantly suspicious, Virgil raised an eyebrow. The usual anxiety he got when seeing the other had lessened though, and he couldn't help feeling proud. "What are you doing here?"

"Virgil!" Remus cheered suddenly, turning to him in an instant as he clapped his hands together. "Did I ever tell you that your new jacket is wonderful? The patchwork aesthetic works chaotically well! Though-"

Virgil pursed his lips together, bracing himself for what he knew was coming.

"I'm sure it would look even better on the floor. Or perhaps-"

"I'm going to strangle you." He interrupted, monotone.

Remus giggled, eyeing the Nightmare Before Christmas posters on the wall. "Sounds kinky. I'm in!" Virgil let out a heavy sigh, glaring at him before opening his mouth to ask him to fuck off. "Anyway, that's not the point. We never got around to that follow up movie night, did we?"

He paused, completely thrown off track. He had forgotten that movie marathon, filing it and most of his memories regarding Remus under unwanted. "And you want to follow it up now, specifically?" Virgil's tone was snarky, borderline mocking to cover his confusion. Where was this coming from?

"Sure! There's a whole lot of movies to get through." The Duke shrugged, before leaning forward to speak in a stage whisper, shimmying as if that would make his offer any more enticing. "If you want, I could probably rope Roman into it too. He's a slut for Disney, so it'd be easy."

He didn't hate his brother per se, but Virgil knew that offering to involve him was a decision that held importance. He folded his arms, leveling his gaze with Remus'. Neither flinched away.

Eventually, a mischievous smirk graced Virgil's face. "Think we'll drive him insane with our commentary?"

Remus' expression lit up.

"Absolutely."

**Author's Note:**

> Am I happy with this? No, not exactly, but I put in too much effort to turn back now, and exploring the dynamic of these two is interesting.


End file.
